The ignorant are at it again. This time it’s someone who you’d think would know better, American Randall Grahm. Grahm is a big name in Californian wine. He’s famous for his Bonny Doon wines - complete with cartoon caricature labels - slick marketing, and biodynamic practices. You can’t say his name without mentioning the words [...]

Peter Gago writes some excellent and very quirky tasting notes to accompany his wines. I try not to read too many of the accompanying notes sent by wineries, but Gago’s are always worth a look. He describes this wine as having ‘a nectar (peach) and pan-juices/demi-glace amalgam hold centre-stage, flanked by cold meats and subtle [...]

It’s named for Olmo, not Elmo (who likes nothing more than a good tickle), as in Harold who put forward, in 1956, Mt Barker and Frankland River as two of his recommendations for promising regions in which to grow wine grapes. On the down side he also introduced the Ruby Cabernet grape, but who could [...]

This Bannockburn Chardonnay is wild yeast fermented and while it does spend one year in oak (only one third of the oak new, though) it then spends a further year in stainless steel prior to bottling. I’m of the view that Bannockburn chardonnay was once routinely over-oaked, so this kind of handling is excellent to [...]

I tasted this for the Big Red Wine Book 2009/10 edition back in January and the note below is from the book with a couple of additions. And a subtraction from the score: top wine although I’d say I was just a little too enthusiastic on the last tasting. And perhaps I’m being a little [...]

This vintage shows a freshening of the style and a bit more stiffness to the structure. It’s one of the better value Yarra Pinots around.
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The alcohol reading on this 1986 Harcourt Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is just 12%. And yet it tastes ripe - and it’s aged very well. Makes you wonder.
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Whopping long bottle and probably not the best wine to take along to a first date, unless, of course, you’re packing some serious trouser action. And you’re a chap. And expecting to get lucky. Hmmm.. best I stop now.
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This 2008 Maelstrom Shiraz is the best Syrahmi red I have yet tasted - by a fair margin. I still think the price is a stretch, but it’s a gorgeous wine to drink.
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I know a bloke who recently had his bucks party in Mongolia, on the Steppes. I kicked mine off at the The Löwenbräu Keller at The Rocks, Sydney. Clearly I needed to find a better quality best man.. Anyway, this was my favourite wine of the Tarras Trio. It has the richness and seduction that [...]